All Blacks 2025
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Check out the comments! I'm fucked if I know what these people are seeing in him.
I noticed someone arguing he was the best choice because he was the 'most qualified', i.e. he's played a handful of tests, a couple of which against minnows. This idea that experience trumps all else has seeped into the public consciousness in the last year or so and it's incredibly frustrating. I am so sick of hearing this as reasoning for selecting a player. Let's just completely ignore form, skill set and actual impact in favour of a box-ticking approach and create a self-perpetuating cycle where opportunities go to the same limited pool of players simply because they already have caps, while genuinely talented options are overlooked.
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@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Check out the comments! I'm fucked if I know what these people are seeing in him.
I noticed someone arguing he was the best choice because he was the 'most qualified', i.e. he's played a handful of tests a couple of which against minnows. This idea that experience trumps all else has seeped into the public consciousness in the last year or so and it's incredibly frustrating. I am so sick of hearing this as reasoning for selecting a player. Let's just completely ignore form, skill set and actual impact in favour of a box-ticking approach and create a self-perpetuating cycle where opportunities go to the same limited pool of players simply because they already have caps, while genuinely talented options are overlooked.
Plus heās a Crusader who went overseas so they instantly become better players and massive reasons why the ABs struggle in their absenceā¦.
See also: Moāunga, Richie
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 he's more likely to fall off them in defence.
WEL you are bagging him with out seeing how he goes in the ABs after playing in France maybe wait and see aye.
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Given the play of 11, 13 & 14 has been sub optimal this year for the All Blacks his inclusion in the squad would seem to be a good thing.
Not that he is the panacea but it's good to have this sort of option at your disposal if you are in Razors shoes, imo.
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 he's more likely to fall off them in defence.
WEL you are bagging him with out seeing how he goes in the ABs after playing in France maybe wait and see aye.
No, let's judge him on his form. Was he poor defensively as a winger before he left and poor defensively as a centre in France?
Otherwise let's just pick any fluffybunny and see how they go too.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Otherwise let's just pick any fluffybunny and see how they go too.
welcome to the Fern!
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 he's more likely to fall off them in defence.
WEL you are bagging him with out seeing how he goes in the ABs after playing in France maybe wait and see aye.
No, let's judge him on his form. Was he poor defensively as a winger before he left and poor defensively as a centre in France?
Otherwise let's just pick any fluffybunny and see how they go too.
No he wasnāt poor in France I watched a lot of his games and he was good defensively.
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I mentioned yesterday that an international defensive trend right now is to rush the midfield, negating any real chance for a centre to have much impact offensively, especially if they are seen as more of a distributor than a line breaking athlete.
One thing Lester could bring to 13 that no other centre can right now is his game breaking ability via his power game. Getting him into 13 could be one way to somewhat negate the rush D that we are seeing because he is a player that will cut open a defence if they don't get it quite right.
As many on here know, I'm a fan of Proctor but I don't think his style of game suits the way we are trying to play. We are conservative on attack, and we are currently using our centres as battering rams. If that's the gameplan we want to implement, fine, but surely you then need to pick a power player who is going to get us over the advantage line. Lester could be that guy but I'd rather them make a call., I'm so sick of the chopping and changing.
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Heard Preston to start.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 he's more likely to fall off them in defence.
The only reason he needs to defend is because our 10's kick possession away.
That will change when we get the quality 10 that is Mo'unga on the field.
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@chchfanatic said in All Blacks 2025:
Heard Preston to start.
He had a great start to the SR season, but wasn't that mainly his running and support play? From what I recall his kicking isn't exactly the best, which if my memory serves me correctly would be a worry after our last outing.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@chchfanatic said in All Blacks 2025:
Heard Preston to start.
He had a great start to the SR season, but wasn't that mainly his running and support play? From what I recall his kicking isn't exactly the best, which if my memory serves me correctly would be a worry after our last outing.
Kicking is strength of his he can kick off both feet.
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@handa457 said in All Blacks 2025:
@taniwharugby I genuinely can't understand it. In my opinion he's one of the best game managing halfbacks in New Zealand at the moment and he's a constant threat around the ruck.
Especially when Fakatava went pretty close to signing with Razor's Crusaders after they approached him.
I wonder when he is eligible for Tonga?
On the LF front I thought he wasn't eligible (from an NZR point of view) until the EOYT?
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2025:
'I canāt physically play like Maāa Nonu' - All Blacks centre rejects legendary comparisons
š£ļø "Rugbyās so tough at the highest level these days"
Maybe we should find out if he's free at the moment...
Jordie is 28, Ma'a is 43. I'd hope Jordie has at least a speed advantage at this time in life.
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@chchfanatic said in All Blacks 2025:
Heard Preston to start.
He had a great start to the SR season, but wasn't that mainly his running and support play? From what I recall his kicking isn't exactly the best, which if my memory serves me correctly would be a worry after our last outing.
Kicking is strength of his he can kick off both feet.
Generally yes, super final tight match off the bench no. I'd rather him start than finish, based on that admittedly very limited snapshot.
edit to add: and you just know that Rassie has brought Faf in to target our last man standing halfbacks. Faf is not a complete player, but he is a royal pain in the arse for opposition halfbacks, and very experienced. -
@chchfanatic said in All Blacks 2025:
Heard Preston to start.
The starting side is stronger than the last test already.
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